Packers’ 53-man roster prediction after preseason finale win over the Cardinals at Lambeau Field
Green Bay’s front office has to make its final calls until Sunday afternoon, and GM Brian Gutekunst has some tough decisions ahead.
It’s decision time. After a 42-38 win over the Arizona Cardinals in their preseason finale, the Green Bay Packers have around two days to make the final decisions and cut their 90-man training camp roster to a 53-man roster. General manager Brian Gutekunst has until 5 p.m. (CT) on Sunday to trim down his group of players. So, let’s predict what the list will look like.
Note: Players with a single asterisk (*) are 2026 draft picks and players with double asterisks (**) are 2026 undrafted free agents.
Packers’ 53-man roster predictions
Quarterback (3)
IN: Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor, Kyle McCord
The skinny: Kyle McCord played the entire game against the Cardinals and was excellent. He has an impressive arm and is a solid processor. It might be hard for the Packers to keep three quarterbacks on the 53, but they would probably be more comfortable risking players getting claimed at other positions than at quarterback. Moreover, recent NFL rules incentivize keeping three QBs because one of them can be an emergency third-stringer on gamedays without being a part of the 48-man gameday active roster.
Running back (3)
IN: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks
OUT: Pierre Strong Jr., Damien Martinez, Jaden Nixon**
The skinny: Pierre Strong might get in if the Packers think Jacobs can get suspended at some point. But the Packers can realistically keep him on the practice squad and elevate him for gameday when needed.
Wide receiver (6)
IN: Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, Skyy Moore, Bo Melton, J. Michael Sturdivant**
OUT: J. Michael Sturdivant**, Isaiah Neyor, Will Sheppard, Chris Hilton Jr.**, Kisean Johnson, Kaden Prather
IR: Savion Williams
The skinny: Will Sheppard had a strong preseason with good games against the Broncos and Cardinals, which included receiving and returning TDs on Friday. Neyor (despite a huge drop in the third quarter) and Sturdivant have been impressive throughout training camp too. The undrafted rookie was particularly good on Friday, with a huge touchdown reception from McCord and over 100 yards. It’s a deep position, though, and it’s easier to get those guys back on the PS. But if Savion Williams (ankle) starts the season on IR, Sturdivant could potentially get a shot.
Tight end (3)
IN: Tucker Kraft, Jonnu Smith, Josh Whyle
OUT: Drake Dabney, McCallan Castles, Messiah Swinson, Thomas Yassmin (IPP)
PUP: Luke Musgrave
The skinny: The big question here is if Musgrave will be ready by Week 1 or if he’ll start the season on PUP. Anyway, the Packers signed Jonnu Smith to be a part of that rotation. Dabney had a rough night against the Cardinals, and even though it’s hard to foresee the Packers keeping only three tight ends considering how much 12 personnel they ran during training camp, they could go with three until Musgrave gets back to keep three quarterbacks (or even seven wide receivers).
Offensive line (9)
IN: Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, Zach Bako-Bewele, Jager Burton*, Anthony Belton, John Williams, Donovan Jennings
OUT: Travis Glover, Darian Kinnard, Brant Banks, Dalton Cooper, Dylan Barrett**, Josh Gesky**, Dillon Wade**
The skinny: Monk didn’t play on Friday, which makes obvious the Packers’ intention to start him. Burton and Belton were on the field, which shows they still need more reps. Glover played extensively too, but it might not be enough for him to make the team unless the Packers keep 10 offensive linemen.
Interior defensive line (6)
IN: Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, Karl Brooks, Chris McClellan*, Warren Brinson, Anthony Campbell
OUT: Jonathan Ford, Nazir Stackhouse, Jaden Crumedy, James Ester
PUP: Jordon Riley
The skinny: Ford is an interesting case because he played a lot throughout the preseason, going to the field with the starters, backups, and even third-stringers at times. The Packers could potentially try to bring him back to the PS as a depth option.
Linebacker (5)
IN: Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper, Nick Niemann
OUT: Kristian Welch, TJ Quinn**
The skinny: This is probably the most logical positional grouping on the roster. But Niemann is a special teams only player, and his contributions to the defense are very limited. Welch is probably a better defender.
Edge defenders (5)
IN: Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr., Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver, Dani Dennis-Sutton*
OUT: Arron Mosby, Nyjalik Kelly**, Arden Walker
PUP: Micah Parsons
The skinny: The Packers added Arden Walker this week. But the overall picture of the unit hasn’t changed.
Cornerback (6)
IN: Keisean Nixon, Brandon Cisse*, Carrington Valentine, Benjamin St-Juste, Domani Jackson*, Kamal Hadden
OUT: Jaylin Simpson, Shemar Bartholomew, MJ Devonshire
The skinny: Domani Jackson had a rough night against the Cardinals and spent a lot of time injured. The Packers should still give him a chance as a sixth-round draft pick, but it’s not a lock.
Safety (4)
IN: Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Kitan Oladapo
OUT: Murvin Kenion**, Mark Perry, Trey Dean, Tra Fluellen
The skinny: Kenion has a shot at making the team if the Packers decide to keep only five cornerbacks.
Specialists (3)
IN: Trey Smack* (K), Daniel Whelan (P), Cal Adomitis (LS)
PUP: Matthew Orzech (LS)
The skinny: Adomitis was signed because of Orzech’s injury. If both are healthy, there might not be time to create a real competition considering the connection Adomitis and Smack have created throughout training camp. But the Packers could realistically keep Orzech on their PUP list to delay a final decision.
